Multiplay wagering game mechanism

ABSTRACT

A wagering game system and its operations are described. The operations can include presenting a wagering game interface including a plurality of wagering game icons, a gameplay window, a bet panel, and a start panel. The operations can also include detecting a selection of a first wagering game icon associated with a first wagering game; presenting media representing the first wagering game within the gameplay window; detecting a selection of a second wagering game icon associated with a second wagering game; presenting media representing the second wagering game within the gameplay window; and scaling the first and second wagering games to fit within the game-play window. The operations can further include detecting input of bet information for the first and second wagering games via the bet panel, and initiating the first and second wagering games simultaneously in response to detecting a selection of a start trigger in the start panel.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/114,206 filed Nov. 13, 2008.

LIMITED COPYRIGHT WAIVER

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdisclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patentfiles or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever. Copyright 2009, WMS Gaming, Inc.

FIELD

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter relate generally to wageringgame systems, and more particularly to a multiplay mechanism forwagering game systems.

BACKGROUND

Wagering game machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines andthe like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for severalyears. Generally, the popularity of such machines depends on thelikelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine andthe intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to otheravailable gaming options. Where the available gaming options include anumber of competing wagering game machines and the expectation ofwinning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be thesame), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining andexciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ themost entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancementsavailable because such machines attract frequent play and hence increaseprofitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need forwagering game machine manufacturers to continuously develop new gamesand gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play.

Traditionally, wagering game machines have been confined to physicalbuildings, like casinos (e.g., major casinos, road-side casinos, etc.).The casinos are located in specific geographic locations that areauthorized to present wagering games to casino patrons. However, withthe proliferation of interest and use of the Internet, some wageringgame manufacturers have recognized that a global public network, such asthe Internet, can reach to various locations of the world that have beenauthorized to present wagering games. Consequently, some wagering gamemanufacturers have created wagering games that can be processed bypersonal computing devices and offered via online casino websites(“online casinos”).

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method comprises presentinga wagering game interface including a plurality of wagering game icons,a gameplay window, a bet panel, and a start panel; detecting a selectionof a first wagering game icon associated with a first wagering game;presenting media representing the first wagering game within thegameplay window; detecting a selection of a second wagering game iconassociated with a second wagering game; presenting media representingthe second wagering game within the gameplay window; scaling the firstand second wagering games to fit within the gameplay window; detectinginput of bet information for the first and second wagering games via thebet panel; and initiating the first and second wagering gamessimultaneously in response to detecting a selection of a start triggerin the start panel.

In some embodiments, said detecting input of bet information for thefirst and second wagering games comprises highlighting the firstwagering game and the bet panel in response to detecting a selection ofthe first wagering game in the gameplay window; detecting input of betinformation for the first wagering game via the bet panel; highlightingthe second wagering game and the bet panel in response to detecting aselection of the second wagering game in the gameplay window; anddetecting input of bet information for the second wagering game via thebet panel.

In some embodiments, said highlighting the bet panel comprises changinga background of the bet panel to match a theme of a background of theselected wagering game in the gameplay window.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises highlighting the startpanel in response to detecting input of bet information for the firstand second wagering games.

In some embodiments, said detecting the selection of the first wageringgame icon comprises detecting a drag and drop input associated with thefirst wagering game icon, and said detecting the selection of the secondwagering game icon comprises detecting a drag and drop input associatedwith the second wagering game icon.

In some embodiments, the wagering game interface further comprises aplurality of configurable player windows, wherein the method furthercomprises detecting a selection of one of the configurable playerwindows of the wagering game interface; presenting a plurality ofconfiguration options for the selected configurable player window;detecting a selection of one of the configuration options; andconfiguring the selected configurable player window based on theselected configuration option.

In some embodiments, the plurality of configuration options include oneor more of a game-related chat room, a player profile, a socialnetworking service, an Internet website, and a listing of wagering gamejackpot rankings

In some embodiments, the method further comprises detecting a selectionof an auto play trigger in the start panel; detecting input of an uppercredit threshold and a lower credit threshold associated with a creditbalance associated with a player account; and initiating the first andsecond wagering games continuously until the credit balance is greaterthan the upper credit threshold or the credit balance is less than thelower credit threshold.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises detecting a triggerevent for a bonus game associated with at least one of the wageringgames in the gameplay window, and presenting the bonus game in responseto detecting the trigger event for the bonus game.

In some embodiments, the wagering game interface further comprises agame carousel for displaying the plurality of wagering game icons.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises, in response todetecting a plurality of selections of a wagering game icon, presentinga plurality of instances of the wagering game associated with thewagering game icon within the gameplay window.

In some embodiments, the wagering game interface is presented in abrowser of an online wagering game device via the Internet.

In some embodiments, the wagering game interface is presented in awagering game machine via a network within a casino.

In some embodiments, a wagering game server comprises a wagering gamecontroller configured to present a wagering game interface including aplurality of wagering game icons, a gameplay window, a bet panel, and astart panel. The wagering game server is further configured to detect aselection of a first wagering game icon associated with a first wageringgame and a second wagering game icon associated with a second wageringgame; present the first and second wagering games within the gameplaywindow; detect input of bet information for the first and secondwagering games via the bet panel; initiate the first and second wageringgames simultaneously in response to detecting a selection of a starttrigger in the start panel. The wagering game server also includes abonus game controller configured to detect a trigger event for a bonusgame associated with at least one of the wagering games in the gameplaywindow, and configured to present the bonus game in response todetecting the trigger event for the bonus game.

In some embodiments, the wagering game interface further comprises aplurality of configurable player windows, wherein the wagering gamecontroller is further configured to detect a selection of one of theconfigurable player windows of the wagering game interface; present aplurality of gaming-related services as configuration options for theselected configurable player window; detect a selection of one of theplurality of gaming-related services; and present the selectedgaming-related service within the selected configurable player window.

In some embodiments, the bonus game controller is further configured todetermine that the bonus game comprises player interactivity; pause thefirst and second wagering games if the bonus game comprises playerinteractivity; initiate the bonus game within the gameplay window afterpausing the first and second wagering games; resume the first and secondwagering games after presenting results of the bonus game.

In some embodiments, the wagering game server is an online wagering gameserver configured to present the wagering game interface in a browser ofan online wagering game device via the Internet.

In some embodiments, the wagering game server is a casino floor wageringgame server configured to present the wagering game interface in awagering game machine via a casino network.

In some embodiments, an apparatus, comprises means for presenting awagering game interface including a plurality of wagering game icons, agameplay window, a bet panel, and a start panel; means for detecting aselection of one or more wagering game icons associated with one or morewagering games; means for presenting the one or more wagering gameswithin the gameplay window; means for scaling the one or more wageringgames to fit within the gameplay window; means for detecting input ofbet information for the one or more wagering games via the bet panel;means for initiating the one or more wagering games simultaneously inresponse to detecting a selection of a start trigger in the start panel.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for detectinga selection of one of a plurality of configurable player windows of thewagering game interface; means for presenting a plurality ofgaming-related services as configuration options for the selectedconfigurable player window; means for detecting a selection of one ofthe plurality of gaming-related services; and means for presenting theselected gaming-related service within the selected configurable playerwindow.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method comprises presentinga wagering game interface including a gameplay window; presenting mediarepresenting a plurality of wagering games within the gameplay window;scaling the plurality of wagering games to fit within the gameplaywindow; initiating the plurality of wagering games simultaneously withinthe gameplay window; detecting a trigger event for a bonus gameassociated with at least one of the plurality of wagering games; pausingthe plurality of wagering games if the bonus game comprises playerinteractivity; initiating the bonus game within the gameplay window;resuming the plurality of wagering games after presenting results of thebonus game.

In some embodiments, if the bonus game does not comprise playerinteractivity, the method further comprises presenting an indicationassociated with the bonus game within the wagering game interface;detecting a selection of the indication associated with the bonus game;initiating the bonus game within the gameplay window in response todetecting the selection of the indication associated with the bonusgame.

In some embodiments, said initiating the bonus game within the gameplaywindow comprises superimposing media representing the bonus game overthe plurality of wagering games on the gameplay window.

In some embodiments, one or more machine-readable media havinginstructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or moreprocessors causes the set of one or more processors to performoperations comprising presenting a wagering game interface including aplurality of wagering game icons, a gameplay window, a bet panel, and astart panel; detecting a selection of a first wagering game iconassociated with a first wagering game; presenting media representing thefirst wagering game within the gameplay window; detecting a selection ofa second wagering game icon associated with a second wagering game;presenting media representing the second wagering game within thegameplay window; scaling the first and second wagering games to fitwithin the gameplay window; detecting input of bet information for thefirst and second wagering games via the bet panel; and initiating thefirst and second wagering games simultaneously in response to detectinga selection of a start trigger in the start panel.

In some embodiments, the machine-readable medium also causes the set ofone or more processor units to perform additional operations thatcomprise: detecting a trigger event for a bonus game associated with atleast one of the first and second wagering games; determining that thebonus game comprises player interactivity; pausing the first and secondwagering games when the bonus game comprises player interactivity;initiating the bonus game within the gameplay window; and resuming thefirst and second wagering games after presenting results of the bonusgame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the Figures of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of presenting amultiplay wagering game interface in a wagering game system, accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of dragging anddropping an instance of a wagering game into the gameplay window of themultiplay wagering game interface, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of presentingmultiple wagering games on the multiplay wagering game interface,according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an example of a wageringgame system architecture, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for presenting aplurality of wagering games on a multiplay wagering game interface,according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for managing aplurality of wagering games on the multiplay wagering game interface,according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating operations for presenting bonusgames in the multiplay wagering game interface, according to someembodiments;

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an example of a wageringgame machine architecture, according to some embodiments; and

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a mobile wagering game machine, accordingto some embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

This description of the embodiments is divided into six sections. Thefirst section provides an introduction to embodiments of the inventivesubject matter, while the second section describes an example multiplaywagering game interface. The third section describes example network andmachine architectures and the fourth section presents operationsperformed by some embodiments. The fifth section describes additionalexample operating environments. The sixth section presents some generalcomments.

Introduction

This section provides an introduction to some embodiments of theinvention.

Wagering game systems offer wagering game players (“players”)entertainment value and the opportunity to win monetary value. In someimplementations, wagering game systems can try to enhance the gamingexperience by offering a multiplay wagering game interface that allowsplayers to play multiple wagering games simultaneously. The multiplaywagering game interface can increase the entertainment value by offeringplayers a variety of wagering game options and player interactivityfeatures involving multiple games. The multiplay wagering game interfacecan increase the amount of monetary value a player can win per spin andcan increase the odds of winning per spin.

The multiplay wagering game interface can be implemented in both onlinewagering game systems and casino floor wagering game systems. In oneembodiment, an online wagering game system can comprise an onlinewagering game server presenting the multiplay wagering game interface toa player via a browser on the player's online wagering game device. Inanother embodiment, a casino floor wagering game system may comprise acasino wagering game server presenting the multiplay wagering gameinterface on a plurality of wagering game machines on the casino floor.

Although the above paragraphs describe some embodiments, the followingsections describe many other features and embodiments.

Multiplan Wagering Game Interface

This section presents a multiplay wagering game interface included insome embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Additionally, thissection will describe various functionalities made available by themultiplay wagering game interface.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of presenting amultiplay wagering game interface in a wagering game system, accordingto some embodiments. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wagering gamesystem (“system”) 100 includes an online wagering game server 150connected to an online wagering game device (“gaming device”) 160 via acommunications network 155. As illustrated, the online wagering gameserver 150 can present the multiplay wagering game interface 102 on thegaming device 160 via a browser of the gaming device 160. The onlinewagering game server 150 can connect to a casino network 180, includingone or more casino network devices, such as wagering game servers,account servers, wagering game machines, or other devices (not shown).In some implementations, the wagering game servers in the casino network180 can also present the multiplay wagering game interface 102 on thewagering game machines in the casino network 180.

As illustrated, in one example, the multiplay wagering game interface102 includes a game carousel 110 for presenting a plurality of wageringgame icons 112. The game carousel 110 displays a subset of the availablewagering game icons 112. One of the wagering game icons is displayed ina center position, two wagering game icons are displayed to the left ofthe center position, and two wagering games icons are displayed to theright of the center position. The wagering game icons to the left andright of the center position are staggered to simulate a virtualcarousel that disappears into the screen. A player can scroll throughall the available wagering game icons 112 by clicking on the arrows 111of the game carousel 110. When the player clicks on the left arrow 111,the game carousel 110 rotates the wagering game icons 112 by oneposition to the left, and when the player clicks on the right arrow 111,the game carousel 110 rotates the wagering game icons 112 by oneposition to the right. In one example, if a player clicks and holds oneof the arrows 111, the game carousel 110 rotates in the correspondingdirection until the player releases the arrow.

In some embodiments, players can rotate the game carousel 110, selectwagering game icons 112, and otherwise interact with the multiplaywagering game interface 102 using a pointer 123. The pointer 123 can becontrolled by various mechanisms, e.g., a mouse, a joystick, a touchsensor pad, etc. It is noted, however, that in some implementationsplayers can interact with the muliplay wagering game interface 102 byvarious other input mechanisms, e.g., a touch screen or voice control.

It is noted that in other embodiments the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102 may present the available wagering games to players byother mechanisms. For example, instead of the carousel 110, theinterface 102 can display all the available wagering game icons incolumns and rows above the gameplay window 122. In another example, theinterface 102 can display the title of the available wagering games forselection by the user, e.g., via a drop down list on a menu bar.

The multiplay wagering game interface 102 includes game menu buttons104. The game menu buttons 104 can control the type of games that aredisplayed in the game carousel 110. The player can also select multiplegame menu buttons 104 to display a combination of game types. In oneexample, the multiplay wagering game interface 102 includes game menubuttons for slot games, table games, video poker, favorite games, andfeatured games. Activating the favorite games menu button can cause theinterface 102 to display wagering games that a particular player hasplayed most (i.e., based on historical information) and/or games thatthe player has tagged as a favorite wagering game (i.e., customizationoption). In one example, the player can customize the wagering gamesthat are included in the favorite game menu button by double-clicking onthe button. The featured game menu button can display new games, updatedgames, games with promotional offers, games currently offering thehighest jackpots, etc. In one example, casino operators can select whichgames appear in the featured game menu button.

The multiplay wagering game interface 102 includes a gameplay window122, a betting button panel 124, a common button panel 126, and aplurality of configurable player windows 132. The gameplay window 122 isan area within the interface where each instance of a selected game ispresented to the player. The betting button panel 124 displays bettingoptions for the selected games. The common button panel 126 displayscontrol buttons common to all of the selected games (e.g., a spinbutton). The plurality of configurable player windows 132 can beconfigured by the player to display a variety of casino-relatedfeatures, such as game-related chat rooms, player profiles, rankings ofcasino jackpots, casino promotions and other advertisements, etc. Theconfigurable player windows 132 can also be used to display otherinformation, e.g., information from the Internet, such as financialinformation, news, sports, etc. In some implementations, theconfigurable player windows 132 can also be used by the wagering gameserver to display communal games and bonus games.

During operation, the multiplay wagering game interface 102 can receivea selection of one or more of the wagering game icons 112 from theplayer. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating dragging anddropping a wagering game icon into the gameplay window 122 of themultiplay wagering game interface 102. In one example, the player mayrotate the game carousel 110 until the desired wagering game icon 112 isat the center position. Then, the player may drag and drop the selectedgame from the game carousel 110 to the gameplay window 122, e.g., usingthe pointer 123. In another example, the player may drag and drop any ofthe visible game icons 122 regardless of the position within the gamecarousel 110. It is noted, however, that the wagering game icons 112 canbe selected by various other methods. For example, in addition to thedrag and drop functionality, the interface 102 can allow the player toselect a desired wagering game by double-clicking the correspondingwagering game icon 112.

In response to receiving a selection of a wagering game icon 112, themultiplay wagering game interface 102 provides selection information tothe wagering game server 150. The gaming device 160 presents media forthe selected wagering game within the gameplay window 122 of theinterface 102. If the wagering game is the first wagering game withinthe gameplay window 122, the gaming device 160 scales the wagering gameto fit the entire gameplay window 122. If the wagering game is not thefirst wagering game within the gameplay window 122, the gaming device160 scales the existing wagering game and the newly selected wageringgame to fit all of the wagering games within the gameplay window 122. Inone example, the wagering games are automatically scaled when the playerselects (e.g., drags and drops) a new wagering game and the new wageringgame is presented within the gameplay window 122. Depending on theselection by the player, the interface 102 can present multipleinstances of the same wagering game or a single instance of multiplewagering games, or some combination thereof

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of presentingmultiple wagering games on the multiplay wagering game interface 102,according to some embodiments. The gaming device 160 presents media forselected wagering games within the gameplay window 122 of the interface102. In the example illustrated on FIG. 3, the gaming device 160presents four wagering games to the player based on game selectionsinput by the player. Specifically, in this example, the gaming device160 presents three instances of the “Jungle Wild” wagering game and oneinstance of the “Power Ball” wagering game.

The multiplay wagering game interface 102 displays betting-relatedbuttons within the betting button panel 124 and control buttons withinthe common button panel 126. For example, the interface 102 can displaya “change denom” (change denomination) button, a “change bet” button,and a “change lines” button within the betting button panel 124, and a“spin” button and an “auto play” button within the common button panel126. It is noted that the buttons within the betting button panel 124and common button panel 126 can be customized based on the type of gamesdisplayed in the gameplay window 122. For example, if the gameplaywindow displays both slots and video poker wagering games, the “spin”button can be changed to a “start” button and additional buttons can beadded, e.g., a “fold” button. The interface 102 also displays additionalinformation, such as the total balance, total bet amount, and win amountwithin the betting button panel 124 or the common button panel 126. Inone implementation, to enter a bet for each of the displayed wageringgames, the player selects one of the instances of the wagering games. Inresponse to the selection, the gaming device 160 highlights the selectedinstance of the wagering game and highlights the betting button panel124 of the interface 102. After the player enters the bettinginformation for some or all of the displayed wagering games, the gamingdevice 160 highlights the common button panel 126 of the interface 102.The player can then select the spin (or start) button, and in some casesalso the auto play button, in the common button panel 126. In responseto the player selecting the spin button, the gaming device 160 initiatesthe wagering games. In some embodiments, the online wagering game server150 determines results for the wagering games, whereas the gaming device160 presents the results. However, in other embodiments, the operationsfor presenting wagering games may be differently divided between thegaming device 160 and online wagering game system 150.

The wagering game server may also present other casino-related servicesor other information via the multiplay wagering game interface 102 basedon input from the player. In one example, the player may configure theconfigurable player windows 132 by double-clicking on the configurableplayer window (or by clicking on a configuration button on theinterface). Then, the player can select from a variety of differentconfiguration options (e.g., player profile, chat room, rankings ofcasino jackpots, news, etc.) that are presented to the player. Inanother example, various gaming-related services can be presented to theplayer as configurations options via the game carousel 110 for theconfigurable player windows 132. The play can then configure one or moreof the configurable player windows 132 by dragging and dropping one ormore of the gaming-related services from the game carousel 110 to theconfigurable player window(s) 132. In one example, the configurableplayer windows 132 can be used as a single configurable player window,or can be maximized to a desired size to browse the web. In thisexample, the configurable player windows 132 can also bemaximized/minimized, or otherwise changed in size, to increase/decreasethe size of the gameplay window 122.

Although FIGS. 1-3 describes some embodiments, the following sectionsdescribe many other features and embodiments.

Operating Environment

This section describes example operating environments and networks andpresents structural aspects of some embodiments. More specifically, thissection includes discussion about wagering game system architectures.

Wagering Game Machine Architectures

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an example of a wageringgame system architecture 400, according to some embodiments. Thewagering game system architecture 400 can include an account server 470configured to control user related accounts accessible via wagering gamenetworks. The account server 470 can manage player financial accounts(e.g., performing funds transfers, deposits, withdrawals, etc.) andplayer information (e.g., avatars, screen name, account identificationnumbers, social contacts, financial information, etc.). The accountserver 470 can also provide auditing capabilities, according toregulatory rules, and track the performance of players, machines, andservers. The account server 470 can include an account controller 471configured to control information for player accounts. The accountserver 470 can also include an account store 472 configured to storeinformation for player accounts.

The wagering game system architecture 400 can include an online wageringgame server 450 configured to control wagering game content, providewagering game results (e.g., random numbers), and communicate wageringgame information, account information, and other information to and froma gaming device 460. The online wagering game server 450 can include acontent store 452 containing content for presenting game results andother events on the gaming device 460. The online wagering game server450 can also include an account manager 453 configured to controlinformation related to player accounts. For example, the account manager453 can provide wager amounts, game results amounts (e.g., win amounts),bonus game amounts, etc., to the account server 470. The online wageringgame server 450 can also include a communication unit 454 configured tocommunicate information from the server's components to the gamingdevice 460, other systems, devices, and networks (e.g., the casinonetwork 480). For example, the communication unit 454 can exchangeinformation with community wagering game servers, account servers,community servers, social networking servers, file sharing servers, etc.

The online wagering game server 450 further includes a wagering gamecontroller 455 configured to facilitate presentation of wagering gameson the gaming device 460. For example, the wagering game controller 451can generate and provide game results (e.g., random numbers) to thegaming device 460. In some instances, the wagering game controller 455provides multiple game results so the gaming device 460 cancontemporaneously present multiple wagering games, as described furtherbelow with reference to FIG. 5-6.

The online wagering game server 450 also includes a bonus gamecontroller 456 configured to manage bonus games. For example, inresponse to detecting a bonus game trigger event, the bonus gamecontroller 456 can determine bonus game results for presentation on theinterface 102 (see discussion of FIG. 7).

The wagering game system architecture 400 can also include the gamingdevice 460 configured to present wagering games and receive and transmitinformation to control and present online wagering games. The gamingdevice 460 can include a content controller 461 configured to manage andcontrol content and presentation of wagering games on the gaming device460. The gaming device 460 can also include a content store 462configured to store content to present on the gaming device 460. Thegaming device 460 may further include a presentation controller 463configured to control the presentation of the wagering game and bonusgame content on the gaming device 460. The presentation controller 463can include a web browser, browser plug-ins, and any other softwareand/or hardware suitable for presenting audio and video content. In someembodiments, the presentation controller 463 presents game results usingcontent stored locally in the content store 462. However, in someinstances the presentation controller 463 may receive, from the server450, content for presenting game results, or the controller 463 mayrequest particular content from other network devices. The gaming device460 can also include processing components 464 (e.g., microprocessor,memory, bus, etc.) configured to operate in concert with the gamingdevice's other components.

The wagering game system architecture 400 can also include a casinonetwork 480 comprising a casino wagering game server 482 and a pluralityof wired and/or wireless wagering game machines 484. Similar to theonline wagering game server 450, the casino wagering game server 482 caninclude a content store, an account manager, a communication unit, awagering game controller, and a bonus game controller to controlwagering game content, provide wagering game results (e.g., randomnumbers), communicate wagering game information, account information,and other information to and from the one or more wagering game machines484.

Each component shown in the wagering game system architecture 400 isshown as a separate and distinct element connected via a communicationsnetwork 444. However, some functions performed by one component could beperformed by other components. Furthermore, the components shown may allbe contained in one device, but some, or all, may be included in, orperformed by multiple devices, as in the configurations shown in FIG. 4or other configurations not shown. Furthermore, the wagering game systemarchitecture 400 can be implemented as software, hardware, anycombination thereof, or other forms of embodiments not listed. Forexample, any of the network components (e.g., the wagering gamemachines, servers, etc.) can include hardware and machine-readable mediaincluding instructions for performing the operations described herein.Machine-readable media includes any mechanism that provides (i.e.,stores and/or transmits) information in a form readable by a machine(e.g., a wagering game machine, computer, etc.). For example, tangiblemachine-readable media includes read only memory (ROM), random accessmemory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flashmemory machines, etc. Machine-readable media also includes any mediasuitable for transmitting software over a network.

Example Operations

This section describes operations associated with some embodiments ofthe invention. In the discussion below, the flow diagrams will bedescribed with reference to the block diagrams presented above. However,in some embodiments, the operations can be performed by logic notdescribed in the block diagrams.

In certain embodiments, the operations can be performed by executinginstructions residing on machine-readable media (e.g., software), whilein other embodiments, the operations can be performed by hardware and/orother logic (e.g., firmware). In some embodiments, the operations can beperformed in series, while in other embodiments, one or more of theoperations can be performed in parallel. Moreover, some embodiments canperform less than all the operations shown in any flow diagram.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram 500 illustrating operations for presenting aplurality of wagering games on a multiplay wagering game interface,according to some embodiments. The flow of 500 will be described withreference to the example multiplay wagering game interface of FIGS. 1-3,and the example system architecture of FIG. 4. The flow diagram beginsat block 502.

At block 502, a gaming device presents a multiplay wagering gameinterface 102 including a plurality of wagering game icons 112 and agameplay window 122. For example, in an online casino implementation, agaming device (e.g., gaming device 460) presents the multiplay wageringgame interface 102 via a browser. In a casino floor implementation, awagering game machine (e.g., machine 484) presents the interface 102 ona display device. After block 502, the flow continues at block 504.

At block 504, the gaming device receives a selection of a wagering game.For example, the player selects one of the wagering game icons 112displayed in the game carousel 110 of the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102, e.g., drags and drops the “Jungle Wild” wagering gamefrom the carousel 110 to the gameplay window 122 (shown in FIG. 2). Inthis example, the gaming device provides information about the wageringgame selection to the wagering game server. For example, the web browserof the gaming device 460 can send wagering game selection information,that was input using the interface 102, to the online wagering gameserver 450 via the network 444. In turn, the server 450 can respond withwagering game results and other information, such as media, game controlcommands, etc.

At block 506, the gaming device presents an instance of the selectedwagering game in the gameplay window 122 of the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102. Since the wagering game is the first selected wageringgame, the game device scales the instance of the wagering game to fitthe entire gameplay window 122. After block 506, the flow continues atblock 508.

At block 508, the gaming device determines whether the player selectedan additional wagering game. If the gaming device detects that theplayer selected an additional wagering game, the flow continues at block510. Otherwise, the flow continues at block 512.

At block 510, the gaming device scales the existing wagering game(s) onthe gameplay window 122 and the newly selected wagering game to fitwithin the gameplay window 122. For example, if the newly selectedwagering game will be the second wagering game on the gameplay window122, the gaming device scales the existing wagering game and the newlyselected wagering game to a size approximately equal to one-half thegameplay window 122. In one example, the gaming device can scale thewagering games such that each instance of the wagering games takes up anequal amount of space within the gameplay window 122. In other examples,the gaming device can scale the wagering games based on the type ofwagering game and/or the displayed content associated with the wageringgames. For instance, to display some wagering games properly, thewagering games may need a minimum amount of space within the gameplaywindow 122, e.g., at least one-half or one-fourth of the space withinthe gameplay window 122. In these cases, the gaming device can scaleeach wagering games such that the size of the wagering game is greaterthan or equal to a predetermined minimum size associated with thewagering game. In some examples, the gaming device limits the number ofwagering games that are presented within the gameplay window 122 to apredetermined number of wagering games, e.g., 6 or 8 wagering games.After block 510, the flow continues at block 506, where the newlyselected wagering game is presented in the gameplay window 122.

At block 512, the gaming device configures one or more of theconfigurable player windows 132 of the multiplay wagering game interface102 based on configuration information input by the player. For example,the gaming device configures one or more of the configurable playerwindows 132 to display a variety of casino-related features, such asgame-related chat rooms, player profiles, rankings of casino jackpots,casino advertisements, and/or information from the Internet, such asfinancial information, news, and sports scores. To initialize theseconfigurations, the gaming device can subscribe to news feeds andprocure other needed information. If the player does not inputconfiguration information, the gaming device may present a defaultconfiguration for one or more of the configurable player windows 132.For example, the default configuration may present the rankings of thehighest casino jackpots, the player profile, and a game-related chatroom (see FIG. 3). After block 512, the flow continues at block 514.

At block 514, the gaming device manages the selected wagering gamesdisplayed in the gameplay window 122 of the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102. For example, the gaming device receives bettinginformation, spin and other control information from the player via theinterface 102, initiates media presentations for the wagering games,controls other wagering game content, and presents wagering gameresults, e.g., as will be described further below with reference to FIG.6. After block 514, the flow ends.

In some embodiments, the gaming device or wagering game server can storewagering game configurations that have been created and shared bywagering game players. A player can configure one of the configurableplayer windows 132 of the multiplay wagering game interface 102 todisplay the wagering game configurations. For example, the wagering gameconfigurations can be saved within player profiles and accessed via acasino-related chat room or social networking service. In one example,when the player selects one of the shared wagering game configurations,the gameplay window 122 of the interface 102 is automatically populatedwith the wagering games specified by the shared wagering gameconfiguration. In some cases, players can create and share wagering gameconfigurations having a combination of wagering games that have a highentertainment value and/or have a relatively high payout of monetaryvalue.

In other embodiments, the wagering game server can store historicalinformation associated with a player account. A player can configure oneof the configurable player windows 132 of the interface 102 to displaythe historical information. For example, the configurable player window132 can display previously used wagering game configurations, previouslyplayed wagering games with the highest winnings, previous chatconversations, replays of previous bonus game plays, etc.

In various embodiments, the wagering game server can offer personalizedcasino chat rooms to create custom (and private) gaming experiences forplayers. For example, players can select (e.g., drag and drop) a chatroom icon from the game carousel 110 into the gameplay window 122 of theinterface 102 to present a personalized casino chat room. Players canalso configure one or more of the configurable player windows 132 topresent a personalized casino chat room.

In one example, players can drag and drop desired wagering games fromthe game carousel 110 into the personalized casino chat room to create aprivate casino room experience. The chat room can be customized with acombination of different base games (e.g., slots, video poker, tablegames, etc.) and different bonus games. In one example, players caninvite friends into the personalized casino chat rooms, e.g., bydragging and dropping player profiles into the chat room. Furthermore,players can define parameters with respect to the wagering games, e.g.,the number of virtual reels of each game, the theme of the wageringgames, the audio settings of the wagering games, place limits on thenumber of spins each player gets, etc. In another example, the playerscan create their own slot tournaments, progressives, and community-stylegames within their personalized casino chat room.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram 600 illustrating operations for managing aplurality of wagering games on the multiplay wagering game interface102, according to some embodiments. The flow of 600 will be describedwith reference to the example multiplay wagering game interface of FIGS.1-3, and the example system architecture of FIG. 4. The flow diagrambegins at block 602.

At block 602, the gaming device presents one or more instances of one ormore wagering games in the gameplay window 122 of the multiplay wageringgame interface 102. For example, the multiplay wagering game controllerof the gaming device scales and presents the wagering games selected bythe player, e.g., as was described above with reference to FIG. 5. Afterblock 602, the flow continues at block 604.

At block 604, the gaming device receives a selection of one of thewagering games displayed in the gameplay window 122. For example, thegaming device receives selection information from the interface 102 (orthe web browser associated with the interface 102) when the playerclicks on one of the displayed wagering games. After block 604, the flowcontinues at block 606.

At block 606, the gaming device highlights the selected wagering gameand the betting button panel 124 of the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102. For example, the gaming device increases the brightnessof the colors of the selected wagering game and the betting button panel124. In another example, the gaming device highlights the selectedwagering game and the betting button panel 124 and grays out the rest ofthe content on the interface 102. In yet another example, the gamingdevice highlights the selected wagering game and changes the theme ofthe background of the betting button panel 124 to match the theme of theselected wagering game. For example, if the Jungle Wild wagering game(shown in FIG. 3) is selected, the theme of the betting button panel 124changes to a jungle theme. It is noted, however, that the content on theinterface 102 can be highlighted by other methods, e.g., the gamingdevice can cause the betting buttons to start blinking After block 606,the flow continues at block 608.

At block 608, the gaming device receives betting information for theselected wagering game via the betting button panel 124. For example,the gaming device receives betting information in response to the playerclicking on the “change bets” button of the betting button panel 124 andentering the desired bet for the selected wagering game. The gamingdevice can transmit the betting information to the wagering game server.After block 608, the flow continues at block 610.

At block 610, the gaming device determines whether another wagering gamedisplayed on the gameplay window 122 is selected. If the gaming devicedetermines that the player selected another wagering game displayed inthe gameplay window 122, the flow loops back to block 606, where theprocess for obtaining betting information for the selected wagering gameis repeated. Otherwise, the flow continues at block 612. As the playerenters betting information for the displayed wagering games, the totalbet display in the common button panel 126 updates to show the total betamount. In some embodiments, if the player has not entered bettinginformation for all of the displayed wagering games, the gaming devicecauses the interface 102 to display a notification message to theplayer. For example, the interface 102 displays a notification messageindicating that the gaming device has not received betting informationfor all of the displayed wagering games.

At block 612, the gaming device highlights the common button panel 126of the multiplay wagering game interface 102. For example, the gamingdevice highlights the common button pane 126 when the player entersbetting information for all of the wagering games displayed in thegameplay window 122. The gaming device can highlight the common buttonpanel 126 by similar techniques as described above for the bettingbutton panel 124. After block 612, the flow continues at block 614.

At block 614, the gaming device detects selection of the spin button inthe common button panel 126. The gaming device can forward thisinformation to the wagering game server, which can determine results forthe wagering game(s). After block 614, the flow continues at block 616.

At block 616, the gaming device simultaneously initiates mediapresentations for the one or more wagering games displayed in thegameplay window 122 for which the server received betting information.For instance, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the gaming devicesimultaneously presents media for the three instances of Jungle Wild andthe one instance of Power Ball. In some embodiments, the mediapresentations reveal final or intermediate results received from thewagering game server. As part of the media presentation, the gamingdevice may present results on the win display of the common button panel126. After block 614, the flow ends.

In some implementations, when the player selects the auto play button inthe common button panel 126 of the multiplay wagering game interface102, the gaming device initiates an auto play mode for the wageringgames in the gameplay window 122. During the auto play mode, the gamingdevice continuously initiates the wagering games in the gameplay window122 until the credit balance meter (e.g., shown in the betting panel 124of FIG. 3) reaches an upper credit threshold or a lower creditthreshold. In one implementation, when the player selects the auto playbutton, the gaming device can prompt the player to enter the auto playupper and lower credit threshold values for stopping the auto play mode.For example, if the player currently has 35,000 credits (e.g., having acertain monetary value), the player may specify to stop the auto playmode when the credit balance reaches 50,000 credits or 30,000 credits.

Within the auto play mode, the gaming device can offer the playervarious other features and control options. In one implementation, thegaming device can offer the player a mechanism to control how a wageramount is distributed between the wagering games in the gameplay window122. For example, the player can specify a wager amount of $100 for anauto play session, and specify the percentage distribution of the $100among the wagering games, e.g., 30% to each of the three Jungle Wildwagering games and 10% to the Power Ball game (shown in FIG. 3). Inanother implementation, the wagering game server can allow the player tocontrol the speed at which the wagering games are played.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram 700 illustrating operations for presentingbonus games in the multiplay wagering game interface 102, according tosome embodiments. The flow of 700 will be described with reference tothe example multiplay wagering game interface of FIGS. 1-3, and theexample system architecture of FIG. 4. The flow diagram begins at block702.

At block 702, the gaming device simultaneously initiates mediapresentations for one or more wagering games displayed in the gameplaywindow 122 of the multiplay wagering game interface 102. For example,for slots wagering games (e.g., the wagering games shown in FIG. 3), thegaming device initiates media presentations of spinning virtual reels.After block 702, the flow continues at block 704.

At block 704, the gaming device determines whether a trigger event for abonus game is detected. In various implementations, trigger events aregame events, e.g., game results, which trigger the presentation of abonus game. For example, in video poker wagering games, some triggerevents may be a royal flush, a full house, and a straight. In slotswagering games, certain combinations of reel results can be triggerevents. In some embodiments, the gaming device can provide trigger eventinformation to the wagering game server. The wagering game server canprovide bonus game results to the gaming device. If the gaming devicedetects a trigger event, the flow continues at block 706. Otherwise, theflow continues at block 720.

At block 706, when a trigger event for a bonus game is detected, thegaming device determines whether the bonus game requires playerinteractivity. For example, certain bonus games require the player tointeract with the bonus game via the multiplay wagering game interface102 to select one of a plurality of options presented during the bonusgame. In one specific example, a picking game requires the player toselect one or more of a plurality of graphics presented to the player toreveal the prize or calculate the result of the bonus game (or to moveto a next stage of the bonus game). If the bonus game requires playerinteractivity, the flow continues at block 708. Otherwise, the flowcontinues at block 714.

At block 708, if the bonus game requires player interactivity, thegaming device pauses the wagering games in the gameplay window 122.After block 708, the flow continues at block 710.

At block 710, the gaming device initiates media presentations for thebonus game. In one example, the presentation controller of the gamingdevice presents the bonus game by superimposing the bonus game over theexisting wagering games in the gameplay window 122. In another example,the gaming device scales the existing wagering games in the gameplaywindow 122 and the bonus game such that the existing wagering games andthe bonus game fit within the gameplay window 122, or scales the bonusgame to fit within one of the configurable player windows 132. In thisexample, the gaming device may not pause the existing wagering games, ormay only temporarily pause the existing wagering games until the game(s)are scaled properly. In some examples, the gaming device can initiatethe bonus game and obtain input from the player during game play. Afterblock 710, the flow continues at block 712.

At block 712, the gaming device presents the results of the bonus gameto the player via the multiplay wagering game interface 102. In oneexample, the gaming device presents the bonus game results received fromthe wagering game server. After presenting the results of the bonusgame, the gaming device resumes the wagering games in the gameplaywindow 122 that were paused to present the bonus game. After block 712,the flow loops back to block 704.

At block 714, if the bonus game does not require player interactivity,the gaming device presents an indication of a pending bonus game. Forinstance, the gaming device presents an audio and/or visual indicationof the pending bonus game to the player via the multiplay wagering gameinterface 102. In one specific example, the gaming device presents aflashing message and/or graphic within one of the configurable playerwindows 132. In another example, the gaming device presents an animatedbonus game icon in the center position of the game carousel 110. It isnoted, however, that in other examples the gaming device can present anindication of a pending bonus game by various methods, e.g., in a pop-upscreen. After block 714, the flow continues at block 716.

At block 716, the gaming device initiates media presentations for thepending bonus game in response to receiving player input. For example,the presentation controller of the gaming device initiates the bonusgame when the player selects (e.g., double-clicks) the visual indicationof the pending bonus game via the multiplay wagering game interface 102.After block 716, the flow continues at block 718.

At block 718, the gaming device presents the results of the bonus gameto the player via the multiplay wagering game interface 102. After block718, the flow loops back to block 704.

At block 720, when a trigger event for a bonus game is not detected, thegaming device determines whether the wagering games in the gameplaywindow 122 have completed. If the wagering games have completed, theflow continues at block 722. Otherwise, the flow loops back to block704.

At block 722, the gaming device presents the results of the wageringgames in the gameplay window 122. After block 722, the flow ends.

The discussion of FIGS. 5-7 describes operations performed by a gamingdevice. However, in some embodiments, some of those operations can beperformed by a wagering game server or other component. Furthermore,embodiments of the gaming device can perform one or more of theoperations in response to information received from or determined by awagering game server.

Additional Example Operating Environments

This section describes example operating environments, systems andnetworks, and presents structural aspects of some embodiments.

Wagering Game Machine Architecture

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an example of a wageringgame machine architecture 800, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 8,the wagering game machine architecture 800 includes a wagering gamemachine 806, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) 826connected to main memory 828. The CPU 826 can include any suitableprocessor, such as an Intel® Pentium processor, Intel® Core 2 Duoprocessor, AMD Opteron™ processor, or UltraSPARC processor. The mainmemory 828 includes a wagering game unit 832. In some embodiments, thewagering game unit 832 can present wagering games, such as video poker,video black jack, video slots, video lottery, reel slots, etc., in wholeor part, e.g., as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7.

The CPU 826 is also connected to an input/output (“I/O”) bus 822, whichcan include any suitable bus technologies, such as an AGTL+ frontsidebus and a PCI backside bus. The I/O bus 822 is connected to a payoutmechanism 808, primary display 810, secondary display 812, value inputdevice 814, player input device 816, information reader 818, and storageunit 830. The player input device 816 can include the value input device814 to the extent the player input device 816 is used to place wagers.The I/O bus 822 is also connected to an external system interface 824,which is connected to external systems (e.g., wagering game networks).The external system interface 824 can include logic for exchanginginformation over wired and wireless networks (e.g., 802.11g transceiver,Bluetooth transceiver, Ethernet transceiver, etc.)

The I/O bus 822 is also connected to a location unit 838. The locationunit 838 can create player information that indicates the wagering gamemachine's location/movements in a casino. In some embodiments, thelocation unit 838 includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiverthat can determine the wagering game machine's location using GPSsatellites. In other embodiments, the location unit 838 can include aradio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can determine thewagering game machine's location using RFID readers positionedthroughout a casino. Some embodiments can use GPS receiver and RFID tagsin combination, while other embodiments can use other suitable methodsfor determining the wagering game machine's location. Although not shownin FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the location unit 838 is not connectedto the I/O bus 822.

In some embodiments, the wagering game machine 806 can includeadditional peripheral devices and/or more than one of each componentshown in FIG. 8. For example, in some embodiments, the wagering gamemachine 806 can include multiple external system interfaces 824 and/ormultiple CPUs 826. In some embodiments, any of the components can beintegrated or subdivided.

In some embodiments, the wagering game machine 806 includes an onlinegaming module 837. The online gaming module 837 can processcommunications, commands, or other information, where the processing cancontrol and present online wagering games.

Furthermore, any component of the wagering game machine 806 can includehardware, firmware, and/or machine-readable media including instructionsfor performing the operations described herein.

Mobile Wagering Game Machine

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an example of a mobilewagering game machine 900, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 9, themobile wagering game machine 900 includes a housing 902 for containinginternal hardware and/or software such as that described above vis-à-visFIG. 9. In some embodiments, the housing has a form factor similar to atablet PC, while other embodiments have different form factors. Forexample, the mobile wagering game machine 900 can exhibit smaller formfactors, similar to those associated with personal digital assistants.In some embodiments, a handle 904 is attached to the housing 902.Additionally, the housing can store a foldout stand 910, which can holdthe mobile wagering game machine 900 upright or semi-upright on a tableor other flat surface.

The mobile wagering game machine 900 includes several input/outputdevices. In particular, the mobile wagering game machine 900 includesbuttons 920, audio jack 908, speaker 914, display 916, biometric device906, wireless transmission devices (e.g., wireless communication units912 and 924), microphone 918, and card reader 922. Additionally, themobile wagering game machine can include tilt, orientation, ambientlight, or other environmental sensors.

In some embodiments, the mobile wagering game machine 900 uses thebiometric device 906 for authenticating players, whereas it uses thedisplay 916 and speakers 914 for presenting wagering game results andother information (e.g., credits, progressive jackpots, etc.). Themobile wagering game machine 900 can also present audio through theaudio jack 908 or through a wireless link such as Bluetooth.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication unit 912 can includeinfrared wireless communications technology for receiving wagering gamecontent while docked in a wager gaming station. The wirelesscommunication unit 924 can include an 802.11G transceiver for connectingto and exchanging information with wireless access points. The wirelesscommunication unit 924 can include a Bluetooth transceiver forexchanging information with other Bluetooth enabled devices.

In some embodiments, the mobile wagering game machine 900 is constructedfrom damage resistant materials, such as polymer plastics. Portions ofthe mobile wagering game machine 900 can be constructed from non-porousplastics which exhibit antimicrobial qualities. Also, the mobilewagering game machine 900 can be liquid resistant for easy cleaning andsanitization.

In some embodiments, the mobile wagering game machine 900 can alsoinclude an input/output (“I/O”) port 930 for connecting directly toanother device, such as to a peripheral device, a secondary mobilemachine, etc. Furthermore, any component of the mobile wagering gamemachine 900 can include hardware, firmware, and/or machine-readablemedia including instructions for performing the operations describedherein.

The described embodiments may be provided as a computer program product,or software, that may include a machine-readable medium having storedthereon instructions, which may be used to program a computing device(or other electronic device(s)) to perform a process according toembodiments(s), whether presently described or not, because everyconceivable variation is not enumerated herein. A machine readablemedium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information ina form (e.g., software, processing application) readable by a machine(e.g., a computer). The machine-readable medium may include, but is notlimited to, magnetic storage medium (e.g., floppy diskette); opticalstorage medium (e.g., CD-ROM); magneto-optical storage medium; read onlymemory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); erasable programmable memory(e.g., EPROM and EEPROM); flash memory; or other types of mediumsuitable for storing electronic instructions. In addition, embodimentsmay be embodied in an electrical, optical, acoustical or other form ofpropagated signal (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, etc.), or wireline, wireless, or other communications medium.

General

This detailed description refers to specific examples in the drawingsand illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the inventive subjectmatter. These examples also serve to illustrate how the inventivesubject matter can be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Otherembodiments are included within the inventive subject matter, aslogical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes can be made to theexample embodiments described herein. Features of various embodimentsdescribed herein, however essential to the example embodiments in whichthey are incorporated, do not limit the inventive subject matter as awhole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, andapplication are not limiting as a whole, but serve only to define theseexample embodiments. This detailed description does not, therefore,limit embodiments of the invention, which are defined only by theappended claims. Each of the embodiments described herein arecontemplated as falling within the inventive subject matter, which isset forth in the following claims.

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: presenting a wagering gameinterface including wagering game icons and a gameplay window; detectinga selection of a plurality of the wagering game icons associated with aplurality of wagering games; presenting media representing the pluralityof wagering games within the gameplay window; scaling the plurality ofwagering games to fit within the gameplay window; detecting a selectionof an auto play trigger for initiating an auto play mode for theplurality of wagering games; determining, based on player input, anupper credit threshold and a lower credit threshold associated with acredit balance associated with a player account for the auto play mode;and initiating the plurality of wagering games continuously during theauto play mode until the credit balance associated with the playeraccount is less than the lower credit threshold or is greater than theupper credit threshold.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wageringgame interface further includes a bet panel and a start panel, whereinthe plurality of wagering games includes a. first wagering game and asecond wagering game, wherein the method further comprises: highlightingthe first wagering game and the bet panel in response to detecting aselection of the first wagering game in the gameplay window; detectinginput of bet information for the first wagering game via the bet panel;highlighting the second wagering game and the bet panel in response todetecting a selection of the second wagering game in the gameplaywindow; and detecting input of bet information for the second wageringgame via the bet panel.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein saidhighlighting the bet panel comprises changing a background of the betpanel to match a theme of a background of the selected wagering game inthe gameplay window.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprisinghighlighting the start panel in response to detecting input of betinformation for the first and second wagering games.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: detecting, based on player input, betinformation for the plurality of wagering games for each game playsession; and initiating the plurality of wagering games concurrently andcontinuously during the auto play mode for a plurality of game playsessions until the credit balance associated with the player account isless than the lower credit threshold or is greater than the upper creditthreshold.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game interfacefurther comprises a plurality of configurable player windows, whereinthe method further comprises: detecting a selection of one of theconfigurable player windows of the wagering game interface; presenting aplurality of configuration options for the selected configurable playerwindow; detecting a selection of one of the configuration options; andconfiguring the selected configurable player window based on theselected configuration option.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein theplurality of configuration options include one or more of a game-relatedchat room, a player profile, a social networking service, an Internetwebsite, and a listing of wagering game jackpot rankings.
 8. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on player input, awager amount for each auto play session during the auto play mode;determining, based on player input, how the wager amount for each autoplay session is distributed between the plurality of wagering gamesduring the auto play mode; and distributing the wager amount between theplurality of wagering games for each auto play session during the autoplay mode.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said distributing the wageramount between the plurality of wagering games for each auto playsession during the auto play mode comprises distributing a percentage ofthe wager amount, determined based on the player input, to each of theplurality of wagering games for each auto play session during the autoplay mode.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering gameinterface further comprises a game carousel for displaying the pluralityof wagering game icons.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising,in response to detecting a plurality of selections of a wagering gameicon, presenting a plurality of instances of the wagering gameassociated with the wagering game icon within the gameplay window. 12.The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game interface is presentedin a browser of an online wagering game device via the Internet.
 13. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the wagering game interface is presented in awagering game machine via a network within a casino.
 14. A wagering gameserver comprising: a wagering game controller configured to present awagering game interface including wagering game icons and a gameplaywindow, and configured to detect a selection of a plurality of thewagering game icons associated with a plurality of wagering games;present the plurality of wagering games within the gameplay window;detect a selection of an auto play trigger for initiating an auto playmode for the plurality of wagering games; determine, based on playerinput, an upper credit threshold and a lower credit threshold associatedwith a credit balance associated with a player account for the auto playmode; initiate the plurality of wagering games continuously during theauto play mode until the credit balance associated with the playeraccount is less than the lower credit threshold or is greater than theupper credit threshold; and a bonus game controller configured to detecta trigger event for a bonus game associated with at least one of theplurality of wagering games in the gameplay window, and configured topresent the bonus game in response to detecting the trigger event forthe bonus game.
 15. The wagering game server of claim 14, wherein thewagering game interface further comprises a plurality of configurableplayer windows, wherein the wagering game controller is furtherconfigured to: detect a selection of one of the configurable playerwindows of the wagering game interface; present a plurality ofgaming-related services as configuration options for the selectedconfigurable player window; detect a selection of one of the pluralityof gaming-related services; and present the selected gaming-relatedservice within the selected configurable player window.
 16. The wageringgame server of claim 14, wherein the bonus game controller is furtherconfigured to: determine that the bonus game comprises playerinteractivity; pause the plurality of wagering games if the bonus gamecomprises player interactivity; initiate the bonus game within thegameplay window after pausing the plurality of wagering games; resumethe plurality of wagering games after presenting results of the bonusgame.
 17. The wagering game server of claim 14, wherein the wageringgame server is an online wagering game server configured to present thewagering game interface in a browser of an online wagering game devicevia the Internet.
 18. The wagering game server of claim 14, wherein thewagering game server is a casino floor wagering game server configuredto present the wagering game interface in a wagering game machine via acasino network.
 19. An apparatus, comprising: means for presenting awagering game interface including a plurality of wagering game icons, agameplay window, a plurality of configurable player windows, a betpanel, and a start panel; means for detecting a selection of one or morewagering game icons associated with one or more wagering games; meansfor presenting the one or more wagering games within the gameplaywindow; means for scaling the one or more wagering games to fit withinthe gameplay window; means for detecting a selection of one of theplurality of configurable player windows of the wagering game interface;means for presenting a plurality of gaming-related services asconfiguration options for the selected configurable player window; meansfor detecting a selection of one of the plurality of gaming-relatedservices; means for presenting the selected gaming-related servicewithin the selected configurable player window; means for detectinginput of bet information for the one or more wagering games via the betpanel; and means for initiating the one or more wagering gamessimultaneously in response to detecting a selection of a start triggerin the start panel.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pluralityof gaming-related services that are presented as configuration optionsfor the selected configurable player window include one or more of agame-related chat room, a player profile, a social networking service,an Internet website, and a listing of wagering game jackpot rankings.21. A computer-implemented method comprising: presenting a wagering gameinterface including a gameplay window; presenting media representing aplurality of wagering games within the gameplay window; scaling theplurality of wagering games to fit within the gameplay window;initiating the plurality of wagering games simultaneously within thegameplay window; detecting a trigger event for a bonus game associatedwith at least one of the plurality of wagering games; determiningwhether the bonus game comprises player interactivity; pausing theplurality of wagering games in response to determining that the bonusgame comprises player interactivity; initiating the bonus game withinthe gameplay window in response to said pausing the plurality ofwagering games; and resuming the plurality of wagering games in responseto presenting results of the bonus game.
 22. The method of claim 21,wherein, if the bonus game does not comprise player interactivity, themethod further comprising: presenting an indication associated with thebonus game within the wagering game interface; detecting a selection ofthe indication associated with the bonus game; initiating the bonus gamewithin the gameplay window in response to detecting the selection of theindication associated with the bonus game.
 23. The method of claim 21,wherein said initiating the bonus game within the gameplay windowcomprises superimposing media representing the bonus game over theplurality of wagering games on the gameplay window.
 24. One or moremachine-readable storage media, having instructions stored therein,which, when executed by one or more processors causes the one or moreprocessors to perform operations that comprise: presenting a wageringgame interface including wagering game icons, a gameplay window, a betpanel, and a start panel; detecting a selection of a plurality of thewagering game icons associated with a plurality of wagering games;presenting media representing the plurality of wagering games within thegameplay window; scaling the plurality of wagering games to fit withinthe gameplay window; detecting input of bet information for theplurality of wagering games via the bet panel; and initiating theplurality of wagering games simultaneously in response to detecting aselection of a start trigger in the start panel.
 25. Themachine-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the operationsfurther comprise: detecting a trigger event for a bonus game associatedwith at least one of the first and second wagering games; presenting thebonus game within the gameplay window in response to said detecting thetrigger event for the bonus game; scaling the plurality of wageringgames and the bonus game to fit within the gameplay window.